Be Childlike!

Jesus tells us that not until we have faith like a child can we enter into Heaven with Him. I am reminded of this everyday.

My favorite way to start the day is at Mass with the Sisters. When they sing they sound like a choir of child angels. It brings such peace in my heart to hear them. They are singing for the purpose of praising God, and nothing else. Their voices remind me to be childlike.

When I get to Daya Dan at about 8:00 I am sometimes greeted by my "boyfriends" on the first floor. There are two boys in particular that love to catch my eye and then smile big when they do. One of them tries from across the room. They start each day so happy and don't show at all that they have not a thing to their name, no parents, and can't walk on their own. They remind me to start each day like a child.

Today when I arrived upstairs all the girls where dressed in their prettiest dresses in celebration of the Missionary of Charity Feast Day (pre-vatican II Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary). The Massees (women who work there) had even put make-up on all of them! They all looked so proud to be so dressed up and celebrating with the sisters. All morning I saw nothing but smiles on their faces as they danced and clapped and wore their dresses. They didn't get all wrapped up in the fact that they had terrible haircuts or couldn't speak or that their dress didn't really fit right. I thought about all I complain about when I am getting ready in the morning. Seeing them reminded me that I shouldn't care, just like a child.

We all danced and sang and laughed for like two and a half hours this morning! The Massees were all dressed up in their nicest sarrees and they adorned the sisters with flowers and danced special dances for them. The kids didn't have to get out their video games, dvds, cell phones or remote control cars to have fun...not that they have these things anyway. All they did was dance! I held Bashker in my arms for like 20 minutes and let him squirm all over and then held him upside down as he laughed and smiled bigger than I have ever seen!

Seeing all of these children in the orphanage only strengthens my pro-life views even more! Many people would say these are "unwanted children" and that they are a burden to society and that it would be better had they not been born. I can tell you right now that I am so thankful for everyone of their lives. I know that every volunteer feels the same way and the sisters as well. All children are wanted children and all children bring joy to someone's life. Maybe all it would take is a smile from one of these kids to change the hearts and minds of people.

Be childlike!

On another note...
Today was fun. Tuan and I got a lot of painting done. As I was working on a mural of boats in the sea, I asked one boy if he liked it. His response: to throw his head back, stick out his arms and spin around in a circle. I hope that means 'yes'. Another boy hanging around us grabbed the brush full of blue (very toxic) paint and put it in his mouth...well, close to. He's albino so the blue paint showed up very well. I might have mentioned him doing this before...

Tuan's stomach is feeling much better, but now he has pink eye! HaHa! oh man, this guy never gets a break.

That's it for now. Thanks for listening to my psudo-inspirational mind vomit! I love you all! ~Corina